Drive and brake mechanism for velocipedes.



No. 710,844. Patented Oct. 7 i902.'

J. S. COPELAND.

DRIVE AND BRAKE MECHAMSM 4FR VELCIPEDES.

(Application filed Feb. 4, 1901A (No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.JAMES S. COPELAND, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERI CAN BICYCLE COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, AND NEIN YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DRIVE AND BRAKE-MECHANISM FOR VELOCIPDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,844, dated October *7, 1902.

Application filed February 4. 1901. Serial No. 45,991. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ wwm t 77W?! @0W/007%: Suitable bearingsof any Well-known or con- Be it known that I, JAMES S. COPELAND, a venient form are provided between the lotatcitizen of the United States. and a resident of ing parts, such forming no part of my within 55 Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State invention, and the hub may have any con- 5 of Connecticut, have invented certain new venient means of attachment for the spokes and useful Improvements in Coaster-Brake that may be desired. Mechanism for Velocipedes, of which the fol- On one end of the hub b a clutch-drum c lowing is a specification. is secured or formed, and a drive-clutchfis 6o My invention relates to the class ofdevices arranged to connect the parts, in the form 1o now in common use as a part of the driving shown the connecting element consisting of mechanism fora bicycle which may be driven a flexible ringf', mounted on and held in poforward, allowed to run or coast under its sition by a flange or shoulder g on the inner inertia, or retarded, these several conditions face of the oscillating plate h, which is mount- 65 of use being controlled from the crank-shaft. ed to turn about the axle c of the wheel.

I5 The object of my invention is to provide a The flexible ring f serves as a part of the structure of this class in which the several driving-clutch when itis expanded so thatits means to this end shall be simple, compact, outer` surface grasps the innersurface of the and edective and contain both the drive and clutch-drum e and as a part of the brake- 7o the brake clutch in the one element.. clutch when it is contracted upon the shoulzo Referring to the drawings which form part der or flange g on the plate 7L. This expandhereof, Figure l is a view in vertical central ing` and contracting movement ofthe clutchsection of a wheel-hub, showing one form of ring is eected bythe lever z', so connected to embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a dethe opposite ends of this ring as to cause the 75 tail View, in side elevation, of the hub and ring to expand when the lever is swung in z5 part ofthe vehicle-frame and attached anchorone direction and to contract when the lever plate. Fig. 3 is a detail viewin elevation of is swung in the opposite direction. One 0pthe clutch and its supporting part. Fig. @Lis erative form of' mounting this lever is to pivot a detail View of the clutch-ring. Fig. 5 is a it on the stud f2 on the arm f3, extending in- 8o detail View of the clutch-lever. Fig. 6 is a wardly from one end'of the ring, and to locate 3o detail view in section through the oscillating the end t" of the lever-'in a socketf4 in the plate, the gear, and the lever. other end of the ring, Figs. 3, 4, this stud and My invention is more particularly intended socket being located substantially in a radial for use as a part of the driving mechanism of line drawn from the center of the ring. The 85 a bicycle and is illustrated and described lever, as shown, is of peculiar form, the en- 35 herein as cmbodiedin and connected with the larged body portion having an opening hub of the driving-wheel of a bicycle and its through which the axle extends and large supporting-frame; but it is also adapted for enough laterally to allow the lever t0 Swing use in connection with other vehicles, and from one side to the other to an extent Snfli- 9o such use is contemplated by me as within the cient to cause the clutch-ring to take effective 4o scope of my invention. hold of the clutching-surfaces it makes con- In the accompanying drawings the letter tact with. This clutch-lever t' is connected a denotes a part of the side fork of the frame to the driving element d, as by means of the of a bicycle, in which the driving-wheel hub lug CW, which enters the opening 2in the lower 95 ZJ is mounted and rotarily supported on the part of the lever, Figs. l, 3, and 5, and when 45 axle c in any suitable manner. the parts are `turned in the direction of for- The driving power to cause the wheel to ward movement of the vehicle the lug d' turn in a forward direction or to check its swings the lever 'L' on its pivot and causes thev rotation is applied to the element d, which is clutch parts to act on the driving-wheel and Ico preferably a sleeve ext-endingr within the hub cause it to turn. As soon as the driving force 5o l) and bearing on its outer end any suitable is relaxed or withdrawn the clutch-ring conform of gear or like means of connection with tracts and the vehicle is left free to coast unthe driving mechanism. der its inertia. If the motion of the crankshaft be reversed, as by back-pedaling on a bicycle, the rotary motion of the driving element d is reversed, the clutch-lever is swung in such direction as to contract the clutch ring upon the shoulder or like surface on the plate h, and the brake is put on.

In the form shown the plate is secured to the hub of a segmental gear 7c, the teeth of which are in mesh with the teeth on a lever ZA, which is pivoted to the anchor-plate or a like xed part m. (See Fig. 2.) A band-brake n encircles a brake-drum b2, formed on or connected to the hub b, one end being secured to the anchor-plate m and the other to the lever l. Vhen the plate is rotated by the reverse movement of the driving element d, the gear 7c rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 and causes the band to grasp the brake-drum with suilicient force to stop the rotation of the driving-wheel of the vehicle.

It is obvious that various forms of brake may be operated by this same mechanism by simply connecting up such brake with the connecting-rod Z,-(indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 as secured to the lever l.)

In order that the flexible ring may act promptly to grasp the surface of the driveclutch part against which the ring is forced in expanding, a thin place is formed, as at f5 in Fig. 4, with the result that the portion of the ring from the thin place to the nearest end moves radially outward quickly under the force applied to the lever, and the clutch parts engage much more promptly than where the ring is of more uniform area in cross-section along its Whole length. This forms a minor feature of my invention. i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In a drive and brake mechanism in combination with a driving element and means for operating it,adriveclutch,a brake-clutch, a brake, operative connections between the brake and brake-clutch, a flexible clutch-ring common to both clutches, and a clutch-lever in operative connection with the opposite ends of the clutch-ring, and with the driving element.

2. In a drive and brake mechanism in combination with a driving element and means for operatingit,adrive-clutch,abrake-clutch, a brake, operative connections between the brake and brake-clutch, ai'lexible clutch-rin g common to both clutches, and a lever pivoted to the clutch-ring on one side of the opening in the ring, in engagement with the other end of the ring and connected to the driving element and lying within the ring.

3. In a drive and brake mechanism in combination with a driving element and means for operatingit,adrive-clutch,abrake-clutch, a ilexible clutch-ring common to both clutches, an oscillating plate supporting the clutchring,means for expanding the clutch-ringintc engagement with the drive-clutch part and contracting it to grasp the brake-clutch part, a brake and means connecting said oscillating plate with a brake structure.

et. In combination with the hub of a driving-wheel, having a brake-drum, a driving element, a drive-clutch, a brakeclutch, a fiexible clutch-ring common to both clutches, an oscillating part su pporting the clutch-ring and having a clutching-surface, a clutch-le-A .ver connecting the clutch-ring and the driv ing element, a gear on the oscillating plate, a geared lever with teeth in mesh with those of the gear on the plate, a band-brake supported in operative relation to the drum on the driving-wheel and with one end connected to the geared lever and the other to an anchor-plate, and the anchor-plate.

5. In combination in a drive and brake mechanism, a wheel-hub, a drive-clutch, a brake-clutch, an expanding clutch-ring forming a part of both the clutch mechanisms and having a thin portion near the driving end` and means foi-expanding and contracting the ring against opposing clutching-surfaces, of the drive and brake clutch, and a brake operatively connected with the brake-clutch.

6. In a drive and brake mechanism,in combination with a driving member and means for operating it, a driven member and a brake member, a split clutch-ring, anda clutch-1ever in operative connection with opposite ends of the ring and with the driving member, and a brake operatively connected with said brake member.

7. In a drive and brake mechanism,in com.

bination with a driving element and means for operating it,a drive-clutch,a brake-clutch, a flexible clutch-ring common to both clutches, a lever connected with the clutch-ring and with the driving element, an oscillating plate adapted to be operated by the clutch-ring, and connected with a brake structure, and the brake structure.

JAMES S. COPELAND. Vitnesses:

GHAs. L. BURDETT, ARTHUR B. JENKINS. 

